A four-member Indian mens team, featuring three from Odisha, finished 10th among 12 countries in the foil event of the Para Fencing World Cup, which concluded at the Eastern National Sports Training Center in Pattaya City, Thailand today. The Indian campaign ended on a disappointing note as the country failed to win any medal in the four-day World Cup.

Venkateshwar Ramesh Rao, Rakhal Kumar Sethy and Omm Prakash Behera represented India in the mens foil team event. India put up a fighting performance in their opening pre-quarterfinal match against South Korea before losing by one point (29-30). In the classification match for the ninth and 10th places, India lost to Iraq 27-30.

Earlier in the individual events, none of the five Odisha para-fencers, including one woman, was able to qualify for the pre-quarterfinals. Pabitra Sahu and Kumari Malti Panaure were the other two competitors from Odisha.

The World Cup campaign for Odisha players turned out to be contrasting experiences, compared to the Commonwealth Fencing Championship, held last month in Lagos, Nigeria, where six para-fencers from the State reaped a rich haul of 11 medals (6 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze).
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PHOTO: Members of the Indian squad pose at the Para Fencing World Cup in Pattaya City, Thailand.